


Your Present, My Past

by ChrysanthemumDeceit



Category: VIXX
Genre: Gen, Scarlet Heart!au, bc it's been over four weeks and I'm still not over that show, i hope :/, lots of bromance though, probably little to no romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-09 03:53:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8874706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChrysanthemumDeceit/pseuds/ChrysanthemumDeceit
Summary: {Written solely because Moon Lovers still has me wrecked}
People aren't meant to travel time, nor are they meant to get involved in affairs that they shouldn't be. But when the fate of those you love hang in the balance, how can you resist?





	1. Time Slip

I’d often asked myself if all of this was worth it. The constant tests, the endless hours at school, and the fake friends we’ve all come to have over the years. And for what? To repeat it all over once we leave and move onto “better things”? 

I didn’t want to live in a world where I’d be stuck in a loop for the rest of my life. Something needed to change but I just didn’t know what yet. 

“You okay?” A voice snapped me out of my thoughts, it was Wooseok. 

If I said all of my friends were fake, I’d say Wooseok was the least. Sure, he hid all of his insecurities and family problems behind a plastered smile, but that’s just what society taught him. I couldn’t blame him for that. But the fact that he never reached out to anyone in our friend group irked me a little. 

“Hell-o?” He asked, waving a hand in front of my eyes, “Seriously, did the exam take you out that badly, Eunmi?” 

"I was just thinking.” I sighed, and began to open my mouth to speak once more but found myself stopping. I couldn’t confide in him. Call me hypocritical but that’s the way of the world. “Where’s everyone else?”

“They all went home, or to tutoring. Although I’m pretty sure Nayoung skipped out to play LoL with Minseok.” 

"Figures,” I sighed, “I guess I should be heading home too.” I stood up from my desk and stretched, “See you tomorrow?”

“Yep,” Wooseok nodded, and with a little wave said, “See you.”

I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed out of the classroom. It didn’t take me long to get home, it was all routine. Catch the bus at 4:15, get off at 4:40, grab something to eat at the convenience store, head home, let the cat in, do homework, watch an online lecture or two, do more homework, et cetera., until I pass out in bed around 1. It’s an average day for a student, I wouldn’t expect anything else.

Except today was different, something was off, something felt off. The bus was more than five minutes late, the convenience store was closed, and the door to my house was wide open. I should’ve called the police, but I guess I wasn’t thinking, or maybe I was too surprised. After carefully approaching the door and peeking my head in, I concluded there was no imminent threat. There wasn’t an axe murderer or a masked assailant that I could see. So, upon that revelation I walked inside.

“Is anyone there?” I called out. My voice echoed and bounced off of the walls. No one responded.

I had taken a step or two forwards and then heard a large crash come from upstairs. Afterwards I heard what sounded like footsteps walking to the top of the stairs. A figure was there seconds later, or maybe it was minutes, my heart was racing too fast and my mind was moving too slow to be able to tell the difference.

“W-Who are you?” I asked, taking a step back.

He was old... Maybe not that old, thirty-five maybe. I could tell that he was probably more handsome when he was younger, he looked tired, not too mention the ragged clothes he wore didn’t help his overall impression.

“Miran?” He asked, he sounded shocked. “Is it really you? You’re alive?” The man began to walk down the steps towards me. 

“W-Wait a minute,” I reached behind me to try and find something to defend myself with. My hands wrapped around an umbrella that was leading against the door’s frame, I brought it forward and pointed it at him. “Stop right there or I’m calling the police.”

He paused midway down the steps, his eyes stared into mine, “You don’t recognize me?” He stood there for another moment, “You look so young…”

“I think you’re getting me confused with someone else, I’m not Minah or whoever you’re looking for. You should get out of here before I call the police, I’m warning you.” I tried my best to sound threatening.

He looked confused, as if he was only now looking at his surroundings, “Where-” He’d begun walking once more, taking each step slowly, “am I?” 

I didn’t say anything, only held the umbrella towards him as he walked. He seemed delusional, maybe he was a psych ward escapee? No, he wasn’t wearing any sort of clothing to indicate that, nor was there any alert in the area. 

“Miran,” His eyes pierced into mine and I was frozen in place, “I have to go back. My brothers… Your-- How do I get back?” 

I hadn’t even noticed he was less than a meter away from me, hands outstretched as if to grab me.

“Get away from me!” I yelled at him, turning to run out of the door. I dropped my bag and umbrella as I passed under the threshold and into the outdoors. A fog had rolled in, which seemed a little strange, the sky had been clear on my way home and the forecast hadn’t called for fog at all this week. 

I heard him calling after me, or that girl, I didn’t look back at him until I was standing in the middle of the street. I reached for my phone but realized that I had left it in my bag, looking around I shouted, “Help! Someone help me!”

I couldn’t tell if anyone was around, the fog had rolled in so densely almost everything and everyone that could possibly be around was obscured. Perhaps that’s why I didn't see the car coming from my right.

I felt a bone-crushing pain in my right side. I felt myself flying and skid across the pavement, my head hit the ground before my body. I heard the tires of the car screech to a halt and the man in my house call out that name once more before my eyes became too heavy and closed, shrouding the world in black.

When I opened my eyes everything was blurry, I sat up and blinked a few times, wiping my eyes. Eventually, my vision returned to normal. I looked around, expecting to see a nurse or maybe my mom in the hospital room with me. But there was no nurse, and there most certainly was no hospital room. The walls were wooden, the floor was wooden, there was no piece of technology in sight. It looked like the houses that my family toured when we visited Yangdong. 

Maybe I was dreaming? 

If that were the case, and it was a lucid dream or something like it, why not walk around? It seemed like a good idea at the time, nothing can affect you in a dream after all.

Listening closely, I heard what sounded like muffled voices coming from a nearby room. Wanting to get a closer listen I slid out of the bed and quietly tried to find the source.

I noticed that I was in traditional clothing, my brain must’ve been going into overtime to try and get everything historically accurate, I had no idea I knew this much about… Whatever this time period was. 

“Merit-based examinations? Who does he think he is?” The man on the left whispered angrily, his eyes seemed to be glowing with hatred. 

“The King?” The woman posed the answer, “You must admit that getting rid of the more greedy members of his circle is a good thing.”

“Yes, but now an influx of commoners--”

“You were one yourself, do not forget that.” She frowned and looked towards my direction, “You have been standing there for a long time, Miran, come and sit.” She motioned towards the empty spot at the table.

Miran? That’s the name that that guy had called me at home. He didn’t kidnap me, did he? 

“Your aunt is talking, Miran.” The man said, snapping me out of my thoughts, “Sit.”

I shuffled forwards, still confused, and sat down. 

“How is your head? That was quite a fall you had,” The woman (my aunt?) asked, placing her hand gently on my arm.

I retracted my arm quickly, causing her to flinch, she put her hand back in her lap. “Fall?” I asked, putting my hand to my head, not realizing that there had been a bandage wrapped around it this entire time. It didn’t hurt. Maybe that’s the reason I don’t remember getting here? 

“I think I’m better. But where am I? And who are you? And why are you dressed like that? And why do you keep calling me Miran?” The questions seemed to flow out like water from a busted dam. 

“Perhaps you haven’t healed completely.” The woman said, “Do you not remember us?’

I shook my head, “No… Why are you wearing hanbok?”

"Han-bok?” The man asked but paused from saying any more. He turned to the woman, “Gayoung, tell someone to fetch the local doctor.”

The woman nodded and turned to me, “Just try and rest some more, I’m sure you’ll remember everything soon enough.” And with that she stood and exited the room, leaving me alone with the man.

“We’ll be leaving Gyeongju by daylight tomorrow, and heading to Gaegyeong. You’ll be living with your cousin, Sunmi and her husband. It will be a long journey so I propose on getting to bed early, I’ll see you in the morning.” He pushed himself off of the floor and stretched a little before finally leaving the room.

I sat there for a moment, taking everything in. I reached my hand out and placed it on the table in front of me, it felt real. The floor felt real, the dress felt real, everything was too real to be a dream. This must be a joke, right? I’m on some television show, right? I heard SuJu’s Heechul was going to be hosting a pranking show, maybe I’m on it? No, that was only for celebrities and I’m about as far away from stardom as they come. 

I shook my head, no, I was psyching myself out. All I needed was to go back to bed and I’d wake up in a hospital, or hopefully if it all was a dream, my bed. So I stood up and quickly returned to the room I awoke in, I ran to the bed and jumped in. I closed my eyes tightly and hoped that I’d fall asleep sooner rather than later.


	2. First Impressions

The doctor hadn’t found anything wrong with me and had only told me to drink a severely bitter tea at least once a day. And I soon came to realize I wasn’t dreaming, I didn’t think you could actually hurt yourself when dreaming, so when the doctor sliced open my finger to sample blood it actually stung and took me by surprise. Was all of this somehow real? 

The amount of justifying myself I tried was insane, although I admittedly probably looked crazy trying to say I came from a civilization hundreds of years later. But hey, I could blame it on my traumatic head injury, right? 

I had to come to the conclusion that I wasn’t myself, or that I was myself just not in my body. I was simply acting as someone else, just like that time I played Red Riding hood in my elementary school’s play. Granted, that was pretend and this was unimaginably real.

It felt weird to think that. I hadn’t fallen through a wormhole, or been struck by lightning; I was hit by a car. Maybe it had something to do with that man in my house? I’d neglected to ask him his name, but maybe, if he recognized me, I’d have a chance of seeing him here. Wherever here is.

“You’re awfully quiet, Miran. Are you feeling alright?” My aunt asked. “Does your head still hurt?”

I looked to her, I’d almost forgotten I was sharing a coach with her. “I’m alright, I guess I was trying to remember.” 

“Remember what?”

“Sunmi. Were we close? Does she like me?” I asked, trying to get as much information about the person whom I was staying with.

“You two were very close when you were younger, even more so when you came to live with us. I don’t doubt her affection for you has changed, you were like her sister after all. Her husband doesn’t mind you at all either, although he’s on the quiet side so you won’t have to worry about talking to him too much. Not that he comes around that often,” She sighed.

“What do you mean by that?” I questioned, tilting my head a little. 

“Well he’s very busy most days, if he has time he tries to come by, but seeing his status it’s understood he can’t always accompany her.” 

“His status?”

“I suppose you’ve forgotten, haven’t you? He’s a prince.” Gayoung nodded, “We were very fortunate to have him choose Sunmi as his second wife after the passing of his first.”

A prince? Was she serious? I waited for her to laugh and say ‘I’m only joking,’ but the words never left her lips. I sat in disbelief for a moment before speaking up, “If she’s married to a prince does that mean we’re traveling to--”

“The palace?” A small smile graced her lips, “Of course.”

The ride was supposed to take at least a week to complete, a few days more if we were stalled. Yet torrential rains and uneven terrain halted us more than originally planned. At least I was able to learn more about Miran throughout my time stuck with her aunt and uncle. 

By blood she (or maybe I?) was related to Myungyong, he was her father’s brother, who was married to Gayoung. Her parents had died when she was very young and her aunt and uncle took her in, their daughter became close friends with her and they lived peacefully in Gyeongju. Yet Myungyong became very wealthy, Gayoung wouldn’t tell me specific details, and he had one of his friends convince the emperor to appoint him as the town’s head. Through one of his annual visits to the palace the second prince, Taekwoon, became enamoured with Sunmi. Gayoung said he’d initially asked her to become one of his, ahem, ‘muses’. But she respectfully declined, it wasn’t until his wife had passed around two years ago that he eventually asked Sunmi to marry him. 

Apparently Sunmi had called for Miran, saying that she missed her company, she said that she was welcome to stay with her in the palace. I suppose Miran jumped at the offer, it was probably a good place for prospective marriage and security as well as close proximity to a loved one. Although the thought of entering the place somewhat frightened me, I’d only read in textbooks and listened to lectures of what had happened in the past, that wasn’t ample preparation to actually being thrown into the midst of all of it.

We rode on covered palanquins through the city, they were cramped and stuffy, plus the summer heat wasn’t making me feel all too well. I rather would have walked, at least then I might’ve felt a breeze. They stopped outside of the palace gates, Gayoung, Myungyong, and I stepped out and faced the large wooden doors.

Several guards stood in front of us, they asked who we were and why’d we come. Myungyoung answered swiftly and soon the guards were calling for the gates to be opened. 

Walking through the large gateway we came upon a large, open area. It was barren save for a few soldiers and eunuchs walking around, but the palace up the seemingly neverending staircase in front of us overshadowed everything. 

To the right of the main building there were smaller houses, I presumed that’s where the rest of the royal family lived, and to the left there was a flourishing garden. It was far away but I could tell a lot of effort was put into it, even in the hot summer air the plants were thriving. 

The sound of footsteps walking across the stones caused me to turn my head, I saw an unfamiliar woman walking towards us. She had a bright smile and her arms outstretched towards me.

“I’m so glad you made it safely,” I heard her say before she wrapped her arms around me.

“Sunmi?” I asked, sheepishly bringing my arms up to embrace her.

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me, have you?” She pulled back, a joking smile on her lips.

It was then I noticed how pretty she was, she wasn’t a drop dead bombshell or anything but she had certain charms that made her seem somewhat ethereal. Like the way her hair waved when pinned, or how the corners of her mouth were always slightly upturned giving you the feeling she knew something you didn’t, it wasn’t hard to see how she could’ve captured the prince’s attention. 

“Of course not--” I replied, “I’m just having trouble remembering you is all…”

“So mother wrote,” She mused with a sigh and turned to her parents, “Thank you for bringing her. I hope the journey wasn’t too bad.”

“It was rainy but we still made good time,” Myungyong noted.

“That’s good,” Sunmi nodded, “Miran, why don’t you have your things taken to our home so you can settle in?”

I had the feeling she wanted to talk to her parents in private, who was I to intrude? I nodded my head and went to gather my things, but by the time I’d taken a step one of her servants came forward and picked up my bags. She was careful not to drop anything and uttered a, “Follow me, miss,” before bounding off towards the house.

I held my skirt with both of my hands to make sure the hem wouldn’t drag along the ground and followed after her.

We soon came to a moderately sized home, I carefully opened the door and walked inside. The inside was modest, flowers decorated most of the tabletops and paintings of them lined the walls. A fragrance, that I could only assume was some sort of flower, wafted through the rooms as I roamed the house. I was shown to my room and began unpacking my things, I didn’t know what was precious to Miran so I ended up not taking many personal items, mostly clothing.  
After twenty minutes or so I heard the door open, thinking it was Sunmi I exited my room and began to greet her, “Hello Sunm-"

I froze, instead of my cousin, a man was standing in the doorway of the house. 

“Who are you?” He asked, furrowing his brow at me. I could tell by his clothing he wasn’t a servant, they were far too tailored and well-made for a lowly status. 

“I’m Miran,” I blurted out, “Sunmi’s cousin, she asked me to come and stay with her, I just got here today. You must be Taekwoon, right? Her husband?”

The figure stood there in silence for a moment and burst out laughing, “Me? Taekwoon?” He began laughing once more, “I remember seeing you at their wedding, you didn’t strike me as the one to make jokes though.” He lifted his hand to wipe away the tears forming in his eyes, “I’m Jaehwan, remember? Taekwoon’s much more handsome younger brother? I’m looking for your cousin.”

Jaehwan? Younger brother? So did that mean he was a prince as well?

“I’m not sure, your highness,” I figured terms of respect wouldn’t hurt me in this scenario. “She was at the front gate speaking with her parents when I left to come here, I suspect she’ll be returning shortly.”

“I see,” Jaehwan nodded, “Well, in the case you see her before I do, would you mind giving her this?” He procured a letter from the folds of his robes, and handed it over to me. “I hear there’s something big planned for the end of the week,” He held a finger to his lips and continued, “I won’t give away any details but I can assure you it’ll be a lot of fun.” And with that he turned on his heels and exited the house.

So much for making a first impression, I sighed and returned to my room, waiting for Sunmi to return.

**Author's Note:**

> I know I have like 5,000,000 other stories to finish and continue writing but I couldn't resist ::::://////


End file.
